Background

Equally Safe and Supported has been co-produced by the Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD) and People First (Scotland)’s Equally Safe Group. The Equally Safe Group are a group of women with learning disabilities and expertise in gender-based violence.

The toolkit is based on the findings and recommendations of our co-produced research report: Unequal, Unheard, Unjust: But Not Hidden Anymore. Women with Learning Disabilities’ Experience of Gender-Based Violence in Scotland (SCLD, 2023).

This report tells us that, as well as being at greater risk of gender-based violence, women with learning disabilities experience pervasive barriers to accessing support and justice.

These barriers may be unintentional or unrecognised. Therefore, we hope this toolkit will be a practical resource for organisations to make their services accessible to women with learning disabilities who have experienced gender-based violence.